Dog people, business people, people.. opinions on my plan.

So I have an idea that I've been looking for opinions on.. and so far it's mixed reviews.

First.. about me.. I am a dog person. One of those dog people who worked with dogs since they could walk.. never "owned" a dog in my life. When I was with my grandparents, my grandpa was a dog catcher and he used to bring home dogs meant to be put down. As soon as I was mobile, I was constantly playing with the dogs.. helping them. There were quite a few dogs that came through that either bit or tried to bite everyone else, except me. I have countless stories.. that I'm not going to share cause then it'll sound like I am gloating, and that's not what I am trying to get across.. just that I am good with dogs. There is just something about me that makes dogs better, like usually more socially acceptable. That is mostly what I did at one kennel that I worked a few years at.. I ran the socialization. I've ran the socialization or play groups at a few places.. and I know correlation =/= causation, but even most everyone else will admit that when I took over that, there was an increase in business. The place I am at now sees that.. but they also see me as reckless for their business model. Reckless cause I do get bit.. it just comes with the territory when handling dogs. I had my arm dislocated by a big dog when I was a kid, grabbing and pulling. My finger has been shredded.. different time same finger, had the fingernail bitten clean through. Tendons busted in my hand.. numerous bites on my forearms. Had my bottom lip damn near ripped off, had to get 12 stitched in it. Had a man hating dog grab hold of my nut sack.. and I've never held it against any dog nor did it scare me away from working with the dog. Both semi serious bites on my finger, I continued working with the dog.. that's just how I am with dogs. I know it sounds bad when you put it like that, but it's just who I am. I am a hands on handler.. and people like it. Insurance companies don't.. but customers do. Because insurance companies don't.. business owners don't. I've ran into this road block a few times.. so I've been wanting to start my own thing, and even though I have some ideas.. there was something missing.

So where I live.. there are a lot of people. Within 30 minutes, there are probably just over 1 million people. It's a large military and vacation area.. people coming for vacation and people going on vacation. So there is a lot of dog business. If there were a place that could hold 300-400 dogs and had the space and staff to support it, they could easily max out during the holidays. One facility I worked at hit 300 during the holidays.. pretty much every kennel with 100 rooms maxes out during the holidays.. and there are a lot of kennels around.. all charging like $25 to $35 a day. I'm not worried about them.. in the least. I have the utmost confidence in my ability with dogs.. but what I don't have the utmost confidence in me. I'm not a materialistic person, I hate the concept of money.. if I could work and play with dogs for free and somehow survive, I could.. but I can't. So I wouldn't make the best businessman.. unless I were actually able to create a plan that I think is similar to me. That always kept me from getting into it.. and honestly, when you work with dogs under someone else.. you're probably not going to be able to save up the proper amount for opening up your own place. I don't really have much to my name, so keep in mind that this plan is going to have to require me asking other people for help. I never felt like I could ask for help unless I came up with THE plan.

The plan relies on a good bit of word of mouth. I increased word of mouth at most places I worked at. One lady saw me playing with a dog that looked just like hers on Facebook.. and she drove an hour an a half just to board her dogs for a few days, like a vacation for her dog. I hate Facebook personally.. but theirs blew up when I took over posting. The place I am at now, when I was their daycare handler.. there was an increase in people coming in and saying they heard from so and so about this. A few customers who'd always tell me about how they always tell all sorts of people at the dog parks. When they took me off of daycare, a few regulars stopped coming.. several people complained, I talked to a few and got them to want to stay. There are still customers who drop slightly snide comments to the front desk about how I should be playing with their dog and how their dog loves me. So I have no doubt that when I am doing my own thing, unleashed.. word of mouth will be my biggest weapon.

So no matter what I would have done.. I would have had something like a daycare with free first days, maybe even a first free week.. cause when you give shit away for free, there isn't much for people to lose. I have no doubt that within a week, I can get most dogs to love coming there to play. People say "well you don't HAVE to do that" and I know.. but I want to. Mostly cause I want the dog to want to be there.. if they don't after a week, they probably won't with any amount of time. I plan on being honest about that.. there are so many dogs around here and so many dog places, that I am sure if I can't.. someone else can and I wouldn't want to hold on to them. No doubt that with as many dogs around as there are, I can find plenty who will want to be there.

But the other day.. it hit me. This is the part where I lose some people. I want to open up a free daycare. No joke.. free. Thing is.. I can't really do it for free. So I was thinking of trying to raise enough money to open an indoor daycare in a climate controlled warehouse. One with plenty of space for 50 dogs.. probably something like 4,000 to 5,000 square feet. I would ideally like to raise enough to run it for one year.. which if I do most of the dog work myself, it'd cost $80,000 to $100,000. The not free part will come in with allowing reservations.. $15 to reserve a space with for your dog. I have no doubt that I will somewhat quickly build up a regular flow to where I'd have to turn people away when I fill up on free spots.. and no doubt that many people would be willing to pay $15 to reserve a spot. The norm around here is $20-25 for a day at daycare.. and those places can get up to 70-80 dogs for daycare.. and not many have great socialization programs. I want to explain to people that it is a work in progress.. and as I earn money, I will expand for more dogs. I'd really like to be able to essentially play with someone's dog.. it's my zen place.. and if I am making enough to live comfortably, I really wouldn't mind being able to do it for free for some. 50 paying dogs would be a good start.. 100 and I'd be set. I don't want to stop expanding though.. so I'd like to work in steps like that. Give it away free.. let the 50 fill up in reservations, I would say a maximum of 6 months for that to happen, probably sooner, expand for 60 to open up free slots.. let that fill up, expand for 70 and let that fill up and so on.

Most people who know me and know how I am with dogs thinks this would probably work.. some people don't have much confidence in the idea of giving it away for free. I understand the risk, there is a chance no one will ever make a reservation.. but I feel like this is complete now and am now focused on it.

What do you think? Good to go or think it'll bomb?

 

Yeah.. crowdfunding is something that I am going to look at. I've had several current and former coworkers and customers who ask(ed) me when the hell I am going to open my own place cause it'd probably be awesome.

And yes.. I love hybrids. When I get back home, I can post a video of a wolf hybrid at my one job. He was an escape artist.. but was an awesome animal. If you're bored and don't feel like waiting, I have them on my YouTube channel.. Mantikore420.

I've dealt with a lot of dogs that don't like other dogs or people. Had a deal with some local rescues at one place, they would bring in their problem dogs for socialization. I can't say I'm always successful, but if anyone can get a dog to play.. it'd be me. Had a few problem rescues that I whipped back into shape and they usually found a home after a few stays with us. I'm not afraid of being bitten.. and I'm the type who will take the bite if need be to keep a dog from getting hurt. Kind of one of the bittersweet aspects of me.. cause business owners don't like that, but customers do. So I'll need some good insurance. I'm going to make sure that it is proper for my area, insurance, vaccine requirements, stuff like that.

 

Well whenever a dog shows signs of an illness outside of the typical stress in boarding, they typically, or should be isolated. I will have to check which ones, but there a few vaccines that are required for professional facilities and some even have they own requirements. I would have to have those requirements too.. unless I eventually team up fulltime with a vet or rescue, which is part of my bigger goal. I worked with a lot of ill dogs.. was kind of a niche at the one place. People would bring their dogs there when they were on their last leg, bring them there so they could go out having a good doggie experience.

 

50 paying dogs a day at $15 each, 5 days a week, 52 weeks per year comes out to $195,000. The daycare I am at now charges a lil over $25 and they have been doing a consistent 40-60 dogs per day. The other one was the same and was a further drive for most people.. but like I said, there is a lil over a million people in this area, within a 20-30 minute drive. So that means there are probably at least 300,000 dogs around me.

If I could buy a plot of land and build a facility that could hold 200 dogs.. both boarding and daycare, I'd be set and have plenty to give back. I'd do that by adding my own rescue.. but that is the future goal. For now, I need to focus on the first step.. or randomly come into a lot of money. I had a good reputation as it is with dogs around here, but I'd like to officially build up my rep first.

 

But I do plan on having a more public financial and mission statement.

 

There are a couple customers I have in mind.. but I am going to talk to friends and family first. The owner here knows I am looking to open my own place.. just didn't know if I planned on doing it here or back in my home state. I've pretty much determined that I will do it here, which means I probably won't get much help from him and I don't really want to snake any customers.. even though I know there are at least 15 people who I know would come over to me in a heartbeat. There are plenty of dogs in the area and I'd rather not be on bad terms with anyone, but there are a couple wealthy customers that I am sure would help out one way or another.. especially a few who have money and resources and are into doing rescue work.

 

Oh I know.. ever since they took me off of working directly with the dogs here, I've been more or less the owner's second hand. Been about a year since I've been doing this aspect of it.. and I picked up a good bit, but I really would prefer to find a partner to operate the business aspect so I can focus on the dogs. I can handle running, feeding, and cleaning 50+ dogs easy.. and if I can grow and expand, I'll look to bring other people in. I have quite a few coworkers who have been asking when I'll start my own thing and I am sure a few of them would hop right over. Actually, I know several people who would.. so long as I can pay for them. If I were to hit 50 paying dogs consistently, I'll be bringing someone in. Already have a person who will help me getting the dogs in and out when the customers come.. and I looked at the idea of finding an established place for sale and seeing about getting financed, but nothing is for sale in my area and this area will be perfect for me. I got a lead on a few warehouses that said they'd be ok with me opening an indoor daycare.. and I already have an idea of how I would build it. I worked at a doggie daycare in a warehouse in my home state.. the area had about 1/10th the amount of people where I am now and they used crates, which I'm not a fan of, and typically had 30-40 dogs a day. I want to build some cheap, but effective rooms.. probably actually cost less than buying brand new crates.

 

I'm actually a lot more hopeful with this plan than any other I created. Been talking to some friends too and most of them said they think it is good.. getting good reception on here, so I really think I found the plan to push.

 

Here is the video with the wolfdog. The owner kept saying how he was mostly wolf.. but I did some digging and found it to be a Czechoslovakian wolfdog, which is only like 5% wolf. I have more somewhere, but I'd have to go through like 300 videos to find them just to upload them.. and I don't have the spunk for that right now.


And here are a couple of my favorite videos. First is the Great Dane from the last picture in my first post.. we beat each other up a lot, and his owners loved it cause he was somewhat destructive and his mood leveled out for weeks after a couple days staying with us.


And this is an old Rottweiler.. passed away, but her owners always said how she too would was a 'better' dog for an extended period of time after staying with us and she was mostly attached to just me.

 

Well.. kind of a loaded question that would deal with a lot of subjective views, but I see dogs like people inside a dog body. More specifically, children with ADHD. That is dogs that aren't being focused/trained for a purpose and are just a part of the family.. and just like your own child, they need activities and experiences. Dogs that are just part of the family benefit greatly from socializing, much like children with recess. I can't really blame the owners.. cause not everyone sees dogs the same way, but a lot of behavioral problems come from not getting out their pent up energy. That's why there are a plethora of videos online of "bad" dogs who destroy stuff when left home alone. That easiest thing I think is just putting yourself in their place.. imaging how you would feel if you were left home alone.. or not doing what you really want to do. Some dogs are just angry at being left alone.. just like people, there is no 'one size fits all' mental categorization.